Various types of routing or copy directing mechanisms are known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,191, for example, describes an apparatus in which a tape guide system is used through which printed copy, supplied from a gap between two cylinders or rollers, is transported. A tiltable flap or cam element is provided, which can rock in accordance with rocking movement of a rod, the cams forming deflection tongues and directing the printed copy into either an upper or a lower path. The deflecting tongues can be fixed either in the upper or lower position, or they can rock in synchronism with the received printed copy between the upper and lower positions. It is, thus, possible to direct the received copy either into an upper or into a lower further transport mechanism or, selectively, and alternately, feed the received copy into the respective upper and lower positions, as the deflection tongues are being rocked.
The system to split up a stream of printed copies, as described, is limited as far as operating speed is concerned since the moments of inertia of the movable mechanical elements do not permit extremely high operating speeds.